Black Sabbath Vol. 4 - Song by Song

[Charger]

Well the reason Changes is so horrible is not because it's slow...Sabbath has done some great slow soft numbers too like Solitude, Over And Over and Dying For Love but it's because it's just so damn boring and so so full of thick cheese. It's like Sabbath trying to do Beatles while being so high on cocaine they can't even see straight.

As for FX it's funny little tune, but it's too long...as an intro to Supernaut it would have worked better as a 30 second number.

[Zzzptm]

It's not like they sat around looking at each other saying, "You know... side one needs another minute and 41 seconds of something, or it'll just be too short." They put FX on because they thought, "Yeah, let's do that!"

When I'm being a completist, yes, I'll play "Changes". But I really don't like it. I much prefer instrumentals like "Laguna Sunrise" or "Fluff" for my onslaught breaks.

[Zzzptm]

Time to talk "Supernaut"...

I have always loved this jaunty tune. It's got a swooping groove to it and a trumpeting main riff. Tony's solo trills perfectly and Bill's bashing adds fun to the whole experience. Loads of enthusiasm and energy in this one.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

I think it's my favourite song off the album. I like the nursery rhyme lyrics and the percussion break in the middle.

[Charger]

Supernaut is one of my favourite Sabbath tunes of all time...That riff...love it...and that break in the middle is indeed awesome as well...

[Typhon]

And back to the onslaught!  I think Supernaut is somewhat unique for Sabbath in that it is virtually a nonstop hammering with not a lot of tangents.  Appropriately placed right after the BFTO piece.  I usually can't resist playing a little air guitar with this one. 
Slammin'.   

[Zzzptm]

Time for side two and...

SNOWBLIND

We had some discussion here, and I switched my vote after listening to the studio version again. I love this tune, and if I did a remix of Vol. 4 and SBS, I could slot this into the middle of the SBS set and it would fit right in with those tracks. Sweet stuff, this song.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

I think this is the track where mine and Charger's views diverge somewhat. This was one of the first songs I ever heard by the band being the B-Side of the 1980 re-issue of Paranoid, and as such is a nice nostalgic song for me. It is only about the 3rd/4th best song on the album though.

[Jack the Stripper]

I’ve always liked changes, piano is simple but memorable, lyrics are simple and syrupy but Ozzy’s emotive voice make them tolerable. Never cared for FX though. It’s totally unnecessary to me.

[Charger]

I think this is the track where mine and Charger's views diverge somewhat.

Yes I think so too!

[Zzzptm]

Since we've already had much discussion and cussin about Snowblind, let's move on to Cornucopia.

A slow, heavy start that switches suddenly to a popping, syncopated uptempo riff and a lyric calling out the excesses of materialism - hence the title,"Cornucopia", meaning "horn of plenty". I've always enjoyed the lyrics and the instrumental track changes up a lot of things. Because of that, it's always fresh for me.

[KiloDeltaCharlie]

It always sounded like a noisy mess to me, but it has grown on me over the years.

[Charger]

Cornucopia is another one of my all time favourites! Always missed it in live sets...this was one of those songs that I would have much rather had become the staple than Snowblind.

This is another one of those short Sabbath EPICS. There's quite a bit going on here especially for a song under 4 minutes.

[Typhon]

Cornucopia was an underrated pick of mine in Jack's thread.  An unusual yet catchy piece that is not quite like anything else. Marvelous.   

I guess some things are incomprehensible.  He can recognize the brilliance of Cornucopia, but not the awesomeness of Snowblind.  My buddy Charger, the human paradox!   

[Thelemech]

I’ve always liked changes, piano is simple but memorable, lyrics are simple and syrupy but Ozzy’s emotive voice make them tolerable. Never cared for FX though. It’s totally unnecessary to me.

I love Changes and there is only one Sabbath song that I skip